At last week’s North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS), accessories specialist CeramicSpeed launched its 3D printed hollow Titanium Oversized Pulley Wheels and its first outboard headset offering. A custom-made display bike was designed for the show in a joint collaboration together with Mosaic Cycles and ENVE.
The twelfth annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS), billed as the world’s leading handmade bicycle show, took place this year in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 10-12 March 2017.
3D printed hollow Titanium Oversized Pulley Wheels
One of the novelties to be introduced at NAHBS was a set of 3D printed hollow Titanium Oversized Pulley Wheels. Featuring an organic design drawn from the Danish national flower, the marguerite daisy, the team at CeramicSpeed stated that the ‘unique pattern of the 3D printed pulleys combine CeramicSpeed’s values, deeply rooted in the Danish tradition for quality, with function and top performance.’
Compatible with all CeramicSpeed OSPW Systems and fitted with handmade high-end CeramicSpeed bearings, the pulleys have been designed to be 10% lighter than the aluminium versions and are twice as durable. To ensure the lowest friction, all sets are fitted with coated CeramicSpeed bearings. According to CeramicSpeed, the purpose of the 3D printed hollow Titanium Oversized Pulleys is to ‘make use once again of the most innovative technology available perfected into a state-of-the-art product of the highest quality’. The OSPW Systems fitted with the 3D printed Titanium Oversized Pulleys will retail at a not insignificant €1500 / US$1700!
Outboard Headset
Introduced in 2015, the CeramicSpeed Headset series is now extended with an Outboard Headset offering for bikes with a 44 mm inner diameter head tube, found on most modern titanium and steel frames, and matched to a 1 1⁄4” to 1 1/8” tapered fork, a feature common on modern road forks. Further sizing options will be made available in the future.
The headset is fitted with the same high-quality CeramicSpeed handmade bearings, pressed into aluminium cups that are also assembled in-house. According to the company, the reason behind the new external headset is to address compatibility with bikes using ‘traditional’ style headsets, versus integrated headsets. As per the entire CeramicSpeed Headset series, the claimed benefits of the new product are focused on durability, stiffness, precision and control for the front end of the bike. The Outboard Headset will be retailed at €299 / US$389.
Bike
The full titanium frame on show at NAHBS was custom-built by the creative hands at Mosaic Cycles, while the fork, stem, seat post and wheels were mastered and manufactured by ENVE. The wheels include the ENVE carbon road hubs finished with CeramicSpeed bearings. As custom bikes primarily use headsets that require cups, this state of the art bicycle also featured the first CeramicSpeed outboard headset offering, as well as an exclusive Oversized Pulley Wheel System fitted with 3D printed hollow Titanium Oversized Pulley Wheels. To finish off, the bike was completed with a UFO Racing Chain.
CeramicSpeed is a Danish producer of ceramic bearings and bicycle components, founded in 2004. All bearing products are handmade at the company’s HQ, with all racing chains also receiving their final optimization in Denmark. Founder and current CEO, Jacob Csizmadia, was the first person to introduce ceramic bearings to the professional cycling world. CeramicSpeed argues that it remains the world’s most successful ceramic bearings manufacturer in cycling, with victories in all Grand Tours, World Championships, and many other top-level events. Notable wins include the last two editions of the Giro d’Italia, won by Alberto Contador (Team Tinkoff) in 2015 and Vincenzo Nibali in 2016 (Astana Pro Team). Alongside numerous stage victories, CeramicSpeed sponsored teams also won two jersey classifications at last season’s Tour de France.
In 2017, its five sponsored World Tour cycling teams – Cannondale-Drapac, Quick-Step Floors Pro Cycling Team, Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka, BORA-hansgrohe and AG2R Mondiale – ride with CeramicSpeed products. Additionally, CeramicSpeed products are the choice of some of the world’s leading triathletes including Andy Potts, Lionel Sanders, Tim Don and Helle Frederiksen. Many of the world’s leading manufacturers of bicycles and bicycle components use CeramicSpeed products as OEM parts. Products are distributed worldwide to over 40 countries. CeramicSpeed also produces ceramic bearings for industrial use.
